Literature changed after the Great War. New writers emerged, famously dubbed “the lost generation” by Gertrude Stein, who challenged their literary elders.
Old conventions were out, replaced by new, more internalized, and more subjective ways of looking at the world.
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Opening Theme
“From Uncle Remus” from Woodland Sketches
Composed by Edward MacDowell in 1896. Public domain.
Performed by Jean Dubé and used pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY-NC 3.0 license. Source.
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Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.
Fantastic episode, Mark. As complete a survey of Jazz Age writers as one could desire, you even managed to work in a mention of Sherwood Anderson! Your transitions from discussing one author to the next were all smooth and flowing. And a fascinating “Oh, and one more thing.” Excellent, entertaining job.
Great episode. So many cherished authors made their mark during this time. I wonder what caused this explosion of literary talent, or whether these writers just got lucky being the first of a new style. It’s certainly possible that as many great writers exist today and they just don’t stand out in a crowded field, or if other forms of media distract away from literature. They may be recognized in time, or simply forgotten to history.